Inside The Heat

Thomas Bryant Fires Subliminal Shot at Miami Heat After Unexpected Trade

Jake Elman

Dec 15, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers center Thomas Bryant (3) rebounds the ball in the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Dec 15, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers center Thomas Bryant (3) rebounds the ball in the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
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Thomas Bryant woke up Friday as the Miami Heat’s backup center. He finished the weekend grabbing rebounds for the Indiana Pacers.

Trading South Beach for Indianapolis this time of year sounds less than desirable. Not for Bryant, an Indiana University alum who immediately fit into the Pacers rotation.

Bryant totaled seven points, two rebounds, and a blocked shot across 11 minutes in Indiana’s 119-104 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday. He is expected to receive significant minutes off the bench after injuries decimated the Pacers’ frontcourt. 

“It felt great just being with a team that had a need for me and accepted me for who I am and what I do out there on the court,” Bryant said, according to the IndyStar. “It felt great to just have that camaraderie and the love that you feel right then and there when you first come in.”

Bryant’s comments could easily be interpreted as a shot at the Heat. Although Bryant began this season as the backup center, he’d only played 42 total minutes across Miami’s previous 16 games.

Bryant averaged 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 10 games with the Heat. However, he’s only two seasons removed from averaging 12.1 points and 6.8 boards for the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets. 

“A guy who has the ability to stretch the floor and can do damage around the basket is very, very valuable,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s got a really good basketball IQ. He picked things up very quickly out there. He plays with an energy and a vibe that’s really cool.”

Miami and Indiana agreed to swap second-round picks for Bryant. Although reports of the trade first broke Friday, it couldn’t go through until Bryant became trade-eligible Sunday.

Kevin Love is expected to serve as Bam Adebayo’s backup center in the short term. Rookie big man Kel’el Ware is currently on a G League assignment. 

Bryant will see the Heat soon enough. Miami hosts Indiana on Jan. 2. 

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Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.

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Jake Elman
JAKE ELMAN

Jake Elman is a veteran sports journalist and graduate of Florida Atlantic University’s journalism program. In recent years, he has covered the NFL for EndGame360 and served as the sports content lead for ExpressVPN. He also covered the Lane Kiffin years at FAU for the Palm Beach Post.